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Author
Topic: cure ever available?? (Read 5332 times)

I was diagnosed 2 years ago and as much asdI'd like to be hopeful that hiv will be cured, I sometimes wonder? A few months ago it seems there was several hiv cure projects in the pipeline but then it just disappeared which makes me question my hope

What disappeared? I think the cure pipeline is stronger then ever...Just go through this forum form the start (2007) and you"ll see that things are really heating up; seems like every 2 weeks or so there is some kind of breakthrough in basic science or clinical trials. The only really "negative news" these last 2 years was the one regarding the reservoirs; and it was'nt really that much news--scientist knew it was bigger then what they have been seeing--, and not really that negative, since now they really know if the cure strategies are working or not.

Things are going to get really interesting from here on. In 2 weeks the HIV reservoir and erradication strategies summit is being held in Miami. Can't wait.

HIV is still a relatively "new" disease, though I know for those of us who have it, and especially those who are LTS, and those who have seen loved ones succumb to it with a fatal end, it does seem like its been here for an eternity.

But someone help me out here, and I apologize in advance if I sound ignorant.

I was diagnosed 2 years ago and as much asdI'd like to be hopeful that hiv will be cured, I sometimes wonder? A few months ago it seems there was several hiv cure projects in the pipeline but then it just disappeared which makes me question my hope

Hope for what? Hope for a cure? Or hope for a good life.You can have a good life without the cure. My hunch is "the cure" is going to be piece-meal. Some might get it, some might not, won't work for all, etc etc. Meanwhile.... HAART. Better and better treatment...

Logged

“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

About some being cured and others not. Very likely...just look at Hep C. But Hep C cure rates have good through the roof during the past 2/3 years. I think same thing will happen with HIV. But, you also have to remember that the amount of research behind HIV is waaaaay more then the amount of research behind HEP C. Once things get going in the cure department, 100% cure rates will be achieved faster then what has happed with Hep C.

Cicero: YES, preventive and Therapeutic. And I think some vaccines--at least in theory--can be used as both preventine and therapeutic vaccine. But the great majority are either preventive or therapeutic. Not both.

There is constant research going on in an effort to find a cure, be it therapeutic or eradicating. I went to Boston last month so they could get some fresh samples of my blood, which I have done before. In January I went there so they could take samples of my guts via upper and lower endoscopy...and they're ready for me to do it again if I'm willing

My point is that I believe in the research and I'm willing and able to take time off from work so that whatever they want to extract, suck out or shave off can further the work that Dr. Walker and all the believers in the world are doing. I have faith that they will one day finagle the next step in HIV medicine...and we've come so far, I have no choice but to believe that it will be some type of cure.

There is constant research going on in an effort to find a cure, be it therapeutic or eradicating. I went to Boston last month so they could get some fresh samples of my blood, which I have done before. In January I went there so they could take samples of my guts via upper and lower endoscopy...and they're ready for me to do it again if I'm willing

My point is that I believe in the research and I'm willing and able to take time off from work so that whatever they want to extract, suck out or shave off can further the work that Dr. Walker and all the believers in the world are doing. I have faith that they will one day finagle the next step in HIV medicine...and we've come so far, I have no choice but to believe that it will be some type of cure.

And yes, I say "believe" a lot!

Basquo:

First, a very sincere thank you for your personal contributions to HIV research. I recognize that I am benefiting from all of those that contributed (to the science, clinical trials, activism, etc.) before me.

With regard to believing in the cure -- I too am a big believer. I think it is my personality type to think of the future and in the larger context. While I believe, I am also realistic -- there are many challenges ahead.

One challenge is that the basic science is moving much faster than clinical research. We are going to need to shift funding from basic science to clinical studies -- which is much easier said than done. The process of shifting a multi-billion dollar effort will take time. Multi-year grants need to run out before the funding can be redirected, and then the funding may be more logical to go to another organization that has more experience with clinical studies (which may not have experience running grants from the funder....).

Well, that was just a long winded way to say, thanks, I believe too, but it will take time.

This is good to read. I'm new to this disease. I've been looking up research on cures since i found out I was positive. I believe as well but I feel like we all need to get together and actually raise some money so we dont have to wait around for funding.

What's in a cure? Does it mean HIV is out of your body? or that HIV is out of your Life? I highly doubt the former will be true, but I'll take the latter as a sign of being cured. In my opinion, anything better (i.e less frequent) than 4-times-a-year shots is as good as a cure. Think of the day you just need to go to the clinic every 3 months to get a jab along with getting your pee sampled for Gonorrhea, anus swabbed for HPV, CD4s counted for HIV and the sordid details of your sex life recorded for good measure. All in a single visit!

i don't think i'll see a cure in my lifetime. i'd be thrilled to see 100% access to cheaper effective meds with little to no side effects. and i would go happy if i saw a vaccine in my lifetime, just to know we'd be the last ones stinking up the joint. have my doubts on that too though

HIV is a messy virus. It mutates frequently. Hence, researchers have had such a hard time pinning it.

Even the antibody production from vaccines can't perfectly cover its many variants.

No vaccine to date has been able to provide truly robust protection against HIV, much less a therapeutic option in those like us (though, there are glimmers). We are certainly on the path to developing one, but it'll be a while for the vaccine route to mature.

Please do not forget the many other options being explored (inducers such as HDAC inhibitors or prostratrin for the "Shock and Kill" approach, Sangamo's zinc fingers to turn off CCR5, targeted antibodies, gene therapy to produce silencing RNA to shut down or enzymes to cut out HIV segments). Each has its pros and cons.

Still, many are already in human clinical trials!

Overall, I suspect that we'll need better and better understanding and manipulation of immune cell priming / programming to make further progress towards a cure.